Writing

Hello there. My name is Writing. I am very, very old. Before I was born, people had to keep all their stories and ideas inside their heads. Can you imagine that? It was so tricky to remember everything. Think about a world with no books to read at bedtime. And no signs to show you where to go. You couldn't even write your name on your beautiful drawings. It was a very quiet world in some ways. People needed a way to share their thoughts and remember important things. That’s why I was created, to help everyone share their big ideas.

My story began in a warm, sunny land called Mesopotamia over 5,000 years ago. Wow, that's a long time ago. The people who lived there were called Sumerians. The Sumerians were very busy and had many things to remember. They would ask, "How many jars of honey do we have?" or "How many sheep are in the field?". It was too much to keep in their heads. So, they had a wonderful idea. They took soft, wet clay and started drawing little pictures on it. A little picture of a jar meant honey. A little circle with lines meant a sheep. I started as simple pictures. Over many, many years, these little pictures slowly changed. They became special marks and shapes. This was the very beginning of me, Writing. I felt so proud to help them remember.

From those first little shapes on clay, I started to grow up. I traveled all over the world, meeting new people and learning new things. My little shapes turned into letters, just like the amazing letters that make up your name. Isn't that wonderful? Today, you can see me everywhere. I help you read your favorite stories. I help you write happy birthday cards to your friends. I help you learn all about dinosaurs and stars and everything in between. I am here to help everyone share their stories, their feelings, and their biggest, brightest ideas with the whole world.